Overall location filming down 2% in 1Q in L.A. area

Feature film activity on the streets of Los Angeles rebounded in the first quarter of this year, but the gains were offset by a continued falloff in television shoots in the region.

Location filming for movies generated 1,019 production days in the first quarter, up 16% over the same period a year ago as the city and county benefited from several smaller movies, including Millennium Films' "Lovelace," starring Amanda Seyfried and James Franco in a story about the late porn star Linda Lovelace.

That was a welcome turnaround from the fourth quarter of 2011, when feature production dropped 26%, according to data from FilmL.A. Inc., which handles shooting permits on behalf of the city and county. Commercial production continued to grow, rising 11% in the quarter.

But the increase in features and commercials wasn't enough to prevent a 2% drop in overall location filming. TV dramas and reality TV each fell 19% in the quarter, which also saw an 11% drop in pilot activity. The pilot season typically runs from February through April and has been slower than normal.